Shellharbour will have to wait a little bit longer for a permanent iteration of His Boy Elroy, after the much loved burger joint announced that plans for a location in Shell Cove would not be going ahead.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Owner Lachlan Stevens said that he was disappointed with the outcome but the business was committed to serving the Shellharbour community.
"There was misalignment with what the landlord had envisaged for the space," Mr Stevens said. "Ultimately, they decided not to lease with us, and it's super disappointing."
Shellharbour residents were first able to get a taste of His Boy Elroy's burgers and beers when the venue opened a pop-up space in 2020.
Based on the community feedback, Mr Stevens and the His Boy Elroy team began exploring what options there were for a second bricks-and-mortar location in Shellharbour.
This culminated in an announcement last week that His Boy Elroy was moving into the Shell Cove precinct, alongside Georgia Rose and the Waterfront Tavern.
However, on Friday night the business publicly shared the news that it was not going to be.
"We had the designs drawn up, we had the lease prepared and everything. [Now] we're looking at other ways to get into the Shellharbour market."
First, the team are putting the final touches on a retro-style step-through food truck van imported from the USA.
The landlord who hosted His Boy Elroy initially in Shellharbour, at Addy's Shellharbour, has offered his premises as a initial location.
"We've had five or so customers reach out and say, 'How about this area? Or what about this development?'" Mr Stevens said.
"We've had real estate agents reach out and say, 'What about this space?' So it's quite promising and we've got ambitions to get our brand down into Shellharbour."
Stevens said the immediate focus was on the existing location and the programs run out of the Keira Street premises, including men's mental health charity Bar Stool Brothers, but that he was not done with plans to expand.
"The Shellharbour community has definitely supported us, particularly throughout COVID, and we have built an affinity with that community. We'd love to get down there as a first point of call."
To read more stories, download the Illawarra Mercury news app in the Apple Store or Google Play.
